Thursday, July 10, 2003

Nevada GOP Gov. Kenny Guinn and the Republicans in the state legislature have been deadlocked over a ~20% tax hike to fund education programs. (Guinn wanted the hike and the legislators didn't.) The Republicans in the Legislature stood firm, and so Guinn sued the state to force the Supreme Court to get him his money. The heavily Democratic court has complied, giving the worst GOP governor in the country his fat tax hike.

Guinn is barely ahead of Bob Taft, who ramped up taxes in Ohio. Other GOP tax-hikers are Bob Riley of Alabama, Dirk Kempthorne of Idaho and Mike Huckabee of Arkansas. Sonny Perdue of Georgia tried to get a giant tax hike passed, but the bipartisan Legislature shot that down. John Rowland of Connecticut tried to slash spending and raise taxes a little. Govs. Rick Perry (TX), Jeb Bush (FL), Tim Pawlenty (Minn.) and Bill Owens (CO) have held spending after cutting taxes earlier in their administrations. Govs. Pataki, Romney and Ehrlich have tried to cut spending, but their liberal legislatures steamrolled them.